The 3D footage Michael Jackson intended to be shown in his “This is It” stage show before he died is finally being made available to consumers in an enhanced Blu-ray Disc of the documentary of the same name.
Buried among the many announcements today by Sony Electronics at the IFA conference in Berlin was the news that Sony Pictures Entertainment will be bundling “Michael Jackson’s This Is It – 3D Enhanced Edition” with the purchase of a 3D electronics products.
The company also confirmed that it will be bundling Disney’s “Alice in Wonderland 3D” on 3D Blu-ray.
Details were unavailable about which products the titles will be bundled with in various countries.
The documentary shows Jackson and director Kenny Ortega filming selected scenes in 3D, including “Thriller” and “Earth Song,” the latter of which was broadcast on TV in anaglyph 3D during last year’s Grammy Awards. Ortega also described the planned finale for the stage show in which a visual effect was to make it appear that Michael Jackson was boarding an MJ Airlines jet that would appear to fly over the audience.
Sony Professional also announced a new 3D home projector to be available in Europe in November. The VPL-VW90ES is also capable of taking 2D video and simulating 3D images.
Sony Corp. CEO Sir Howard Stringer said during an hourlong press conference held entirely in 3D with a giant 280-inch LED 3D screen, “The 3D train is moving forward, speedily and steadily, like China’s Harmony Express.”
— By Scott Hettrick